Dissolve some stress

In their book Mindfulness for Health, Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman write:

It is the mind’s chatter that tends to create suffering, while simply observing the chatter as it comes and goes, and being less identified with the precise content of the mind, gradually dissolves pain and stress.”

Think of your chattering mind as a busily-flowing river. Imagine you are sitting on the banks of this river, watching the constantly changing flow your thoughts. Much of the time—and this is entirely natural—you’ll find yourself getting involved with the chatter and ‘jumping into the river’ to follow your thoughts.

Be on the look-out for moments when you notice yourself being pulled into the chattering river in your day-to-day life. Noticing you’re in the river is the first step to coming out of it, being less attached to the chatter, and dissolving some of your stress!

Top tip: Don’t be surprised or concerned about how much time you spend ‘in the river’—it’s an entirely natural human habit! When you notice yourself getting swept away by the current, see if you can use your breath or the sounds around you to lightly bring yourself back to the present—and back onto the river bank.